Adjusting and driving mechanism for shafts.



NGS'TON.

s. an. LA ADJUSTING AND DRIVING MECHANISM FOR SHAFTS.

APPLICATION FILED YEB.5,1913

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

upa/r" ,,M [in/ 1% S. M. KANGSTON.

ADJUSTING AND DRIVING MECHANISM FOR SHAFTS,

APPLICATION FILED FEB.5,1913.

1,086,722. Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

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S. M. LANGSTON.

ADJUSTING AND DRIVING MECHANISM FOR SHAFTS APPLICATION FILED FEES/1913 1 086 722 Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

U N ITED OFFICE.

sAnrUnL MZ'LANGs'rON, or CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

A DJUSTING AND DRIVING MECHANISM FOR SHAFTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 5, 1913.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

Serial No. 746.289.

State of New Jersey, have invented certain .neyv and useful Improvements in Adjusting and Driving Mechanism for Shafts, of which the following is a specification.

In printing presses as well asin certain other machines it is often necessary to bodily adjust a driven roller or shaft toward or from another and to maintain absolute parallelism of movement. By means of my invention I am able to secure the simultaneous and equal adjustment of the opposite ends of. a roller or shaft and to drive the bodily adjustable roller or shaft with the same speed and accuracy in one position as in another and with the driving gears in proper mesh at all times.

My invention is particularly applicable to rotary printing presses in which spaced type and impression cylinders are employed one of which is adjustable toward an from the other to accommodate the machine to stock of various diflerent thicknesses. In such machines it is essentialthat the distance between the rollers be the same at one end as at the other and it is highly important that the drive of the movable cylinder operate with equal efficiency when the cylinder isin all of its adjusted-positions.

My invention is also applicable to the rollers of embossing presses or lithographing machines o'r it might be embodied in machines designed for other purposes. 4

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts 0 throughout the several views.

Figure l is an end view of a part of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention, a portion thereof being broken away; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sec- 5 tion through aportion of the machine showing the rollers spaced at a considerable distance apart; Fig. 3 is a. transverse section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. I 1; .Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken substant-ially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and

56 91113 1 nalogous machine in which t ere are tea; chants-pr rollers which .are relatively l adjustable toward and from each other and in which it is desired to drive the adjustable cylinder.

I have illustrated my invention in connection with ,a printing press havin a pair of upper type cylinders 10, 10 an a pair of lower impression cylinders 11, 11. The

about fixed axes and have their upper surfaces substantially flush with or closely adjacent to the upper surface of the main table or platform 12 of the machine. The lower cylinders are carried by shafts 13 mounted in suitable bearings in the main frame 14 of the machine and are provided with suitable gear wheels 15 intermeshing :with an intermediate idler 16 which may be mounted upon a stub shaft and which insures the simultaneous rotation of both lower cylinders at the same speed. Power may be applied to the shaft of either lower roller to positively drive the same, such driving means forming no portion of my invention and not being illustrated.

The upper or type cylinders 10 are mounted on shafts 1'7 which latter are journaled in bearings carried by. vertically movable standards 'or slides 18. These slides may be uided in any suitable manner in the main 'rame so that no movement other than a longitudinal one is possible. For positively insuring the simultaneousvertical movement of both ends of an upper cylinder I provide a-transverse shaft l9 adjacent the lower portion of the machine and upon this shaft mount two pinions 20 interme shing with rack teeth 21 on the sides of the vertically movable supporting member for the upper roller. As both pinions are rigi d on the shaft it is evident that a rotation of one end of the shaft will insure a corresponding rotation of the opposite end and as the weight of the cylinder is borne largely'by the engagement of the rack teeth with the pinions, there will be no lost motion in the engagement between the latter and a rotation of one end of theshaft will insure a simultaneous and equal vertical movement of both ends of the corresponding upper or type cylinder.

For rotating the shaft and securin the desired delicacy of adjustment I provi e the shaft adjacent one end with a lever 22 i 'd thereon and abutting against an adjusta le set screw 23-. The set screw may have a hand wheeltjo facilitate the rotation impression cylinders are mounted to rotate v necessary. I have shown the-vertically moV- regulating set screws, but it is only necessary that such he provided on one end and it is immaterial which end is employed. By having the arms on both ends the pressman may adjust the roller from whichever side of the machine is mosi. convenient. It: will be noted that in case apiece of stock of extrs thickness reaches the rollers the latter vere free to move upwardly and emit the passage of the stock without liability of reakin or injuring the machine as the upper. $01 or is held down solely by its own wei ht. The extent of the adjustment may be limited if desired but ordinarily-it is not able standards or slides 18 provided with slots 24 through which the shafts 13 of the lower rollers extend and these slots should be of a. length at least equal to the maximum adjustment which would ever he required in the machine; i

In order to insure the positive and proper drivin of the upper cyhnderswhen in any desire adjusted position I provide the shafts l3 and 1'? with gears 25 and 26 of the same size but of such diameter as not to intermesh. 'I pivot upon each lower shaft 13 an arm or link 27- and ivotnpon each upper shaft 17 an arm or ink 28. These links are each of a lengthsomewhat greater than the radius oflhe gears 25 and26 and are pivoted together by a. inile 29 which also carries a pinion 39 niesgiing with one of the gears 25 or 26., As illustratedthe upper arm 23 is slightly shortcrthhn the lower arm 27 and the pinion 3G meshes with the. upper gear 26 but not wit-h the lower gear 25;

Journeled,gcgn, as'uitehle stub shaft on the lower arm 27, is a pinion 31 meshing .with the inion 30 and with the lower gear 25.

Thus it will be noted that the rotation of the lower gear-25 causes an equal and opposite rotation-of the upper gear 26 and the 0pposed surfaces of the upper end lower cylinders will travel in the same direction and at the same speed.;. [As the upper cylinder is raised or lowered the arms or links 27 and 28 will swing aboutthe two shafts as centers,.but thepinions will at all times remainv in perfect mesh and proper driving of the upper cylinder will be insured.

Hevin thus described my invention,

whar- I cliiimas-new and desire es protect by Letters-Patent is:-- i

1. In a. machine-Millie type specified, a. frame, an upper and a, lower roller shaft mounted in said frame, pivoislly connected first-mentioned shafts, and

mounted on said links between said secondr.

2. In a machine of the type specified, a

rame, upper and a lower roller shaft mounted in said frame, pivotally connected links connectingsaid upper and lower shafts, gears connected to said shafts, intermediate driving gears-mounted. between said first named gears and mounted on said links.

whereby said shafts may rotate in'unisen, and means for changing the relative positions of said shafts and at the same time varyin the angle of said links 'in'respectto each 0t er. 1 '1 3. in a machine of the type specified, 5. firame, an upper and a lower roller shaft. mounted in said frame, links connecting sold shafts and adapted tovary their relative positions, rack bars connected to one of said shafls, a shaft havin gears ineshing with said rack bars men s for rotating said last mentioned shaft tovary the position of one of said first mentioned shafts and to vary the angle of said links and means for transmitting motion from one of said shaft-s to the other irrespective of their relative positions.

4. In a machine of the type specified, a frame, an upper and. a. lower roller shaft mounted in said frame, links connecting said shafts and adapted to change their rel ative positions, reciprocating rack bars atteched to one of said shafts, a shaft having gears meshing with said rack bars, means for roiatin said last' mentioned shaft in one, direction and varying the angle of said links, gears operatively attached to said idler gears mentioned gears j A, 5. In wmachme, of the type specified, a frame, an upper and a lower roller shaft mounted in said frame, links connecting said i sha n 5, longitudinally movable bars for vary ing therelative positions of said shafts and varying the angle of said links, and means including elements on said links for rotating one-of said shafts in unison with the other.&. i

6. In a Insehineof the type specified, a. frame, o lower roller haying a shaft journaled in said frame, an uppervertically movable roller having a shaft, links 0011- necking said shafts, means for raising the upper roller and limitinp its, downwarder being free to movement, said upper to move upwardlysgainst gravity upon the passage of excessively thick materiel bcvtween said rollers E ema-n5 adapted tom? tate one of said rollers in uniso'n with the other said means including elements carried by said links.

7. In a machine of the type specified, a frame, a roller shaft mounted therein, a drive shaft, links connecting said shafts, non-intermeshing gears on said shafts, manually operable means for separating said roller shaft and said drive shaft and limiting the minimum distance between them, and means on said links, serving to uniformly transmit. power to said roller shaft from said drive shaft irrespective of the adj usted position of the former.

8. In a machine of the type specified, a frame, a roller having a shaft mounted flier-in, a drive shaft, links connecting said shaft-5, non-intermeshing gears-on said shafts and manually ,operated means for positively raising said roller shaft and normally pre venting the return movement thereof, said means permitting the continued upward movement of said roller shaft against gravity by the pressure of material passing beneath said roller, and means on said links, serving to uniformly transmit power to said roller shaft from said drive shaft irre spective of the adjusted position of the former.

9. In a machine of the type specified, a frame, a lower roller having a shaft journaled in said frame, oppositely disposed? vertically extending slides mounted on said i frame and each having an opening intermediate of its ends and larger than said shaft through which the latter extends an upper roller having its shaft journaled in said slides at the upper ends of the latter, means at the lower ends of said slides below said lower roller for simultaneously at the .lower end of said slides and below said lower roller for elevatin said slides and said upper roller, pivotal y connected links movable with said slides and gears car ried by said. links for transmitting motion from said tirst mentioned shaft to said second mentioned shaft. r

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 4th day of February, A. I). 1913.

SAMUEL M. LANGSTON. Witnesses:

CLAlIi W. FAIRBANK, FLORENCE LEVIEN. 

